Valentine's Day Dilemma
by Beachhead30
Summary: It's the second boot camp exercise, characterization of a favorite...


Standard legalese applies- I don't own or profit from the Joes in any way. It's all about the love (and the reviews).  
  
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13 February 2004, 0930 hours  
  
Nick Langdon was in a bad way. It was Valentine's Day eve, and he had no idea what he was going to get for his girlfriend Arianna. Having just gotten over a messy divorce, he hadn't been back in the dating game long enough to recall proper protocol for Valentine's gifts. He was coming up on crunch time, a cold ball of ice forming in his gut. Nick began to panic.  
  
He knew she hated sweets, so a box of chocolates was right out. She was also not a lover of stuffed animals or plush cuddly toys. Screw it, he thought as he snatched his keys off the table in the foyer and reached for the front door. Maybe a quick trip to the mall will turn something up.  
  
0945 hours  
  
Having run through an extensive mental list of possible gifts on the drive to the mall, he had discarded more ideas than he came up with. Forcing himself to relax, he found a parking spot, exited the car, and with a resigned sigh joined the flow of last-minute men and soon-to-be bachelors flooding the entrance to the shopping center. He passed several storefronts, barely pausing to glance inside and see what the shops had to offer. As he strolled past the front of Banana Republic, a frenzied shopper crashed into him and they both spilled to the floor in a tangle of arms, legs, boxes, and shopping bags.  
  
"I'm so sorry," an all-too-familiar female voice said to Nick. He looked up to see the brilliant green eyes and beautiful smile of Courtney Krieger staring back at him. "Oh my God! Nick!"  
  
"Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who leaves things until the last minute," he quipped as he helped her gather up the package strewn about the opening to the store. His gaze fell upon an olive drab turtleneck sweater that Courtney was hurriedly stuffing back into the Banana Republic bag.  
  
"I'm so glad it was you I ran into, Nick," Courtney said. "It's embarrassing enough running into someone like that. It's much easier to deal with when it's someone you know."  
  
"Well, just be glad it wasn't some hard-ass like Beach Head," he stated with a wink. Courtney flushed red to the tips of her ears, her soft red hair seemingly an extension of her blush.  
  
"You saw, huh?" she asked.  
  
"Well, not too many people would willingly wear an OD green turtleneck other than our beloved Physical Torture instructor," Nick said with a laugh.  
  
"PLEASE don't say anything, Nick," she pleaded.  
  
Nick looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "Tell you what. You help me pick out something for Arianna, and we'll forget this little incident ever took place. Deal?"  
  
"Deal."  
  
With that decided the two friends finished picking up the scattered bags and proceeded through the mall on a hunt for the perfect gift.  
  
1220 hours  
  
"Christ, woman! Don't you stop to breathe?" Nick asked. He was exhausted, overwhelmed, and just wanted to go home.  
  
"Only two more shops, Nick. Trust me, Arianna will love you forever," Courtney said with a grin.  
  
Nick grumbled, but followed along in her wake, trying not to think about the amount of money he'd already spent as he looked at the bags he was carrying. They already hit several department stores, as well as a major jewelry chain, and he wondered where he would come up with the dough to finance this "operation". He also reminded himself that Courtney kept mentioning he should take Arianna out to dinner someplace where she could show off the glitzy new dress he had purchased.  
  
He was jolted out of his thoughts when Courtney grabbed his arm and dragged him into yet another store. He glanced at his surroundings, startled to see himself drowning in a sea of pink. He was even more surprised when he saw Courtney shuffling through a rack of lingerie, selecting several pieces and inspecting them closely.  
  
"I'll just wait outside," Nick began.  
  
"I'm not here to shop for Arianna, Nick. If you had been listening, you would have heard me tell you she likes a perfume that only Victoria's Secret carries," Courtney said as she rolled her eyes towards the heavens. "Lord, please give me the strength to deal with this. Off you go, sailor boy," she chuckled as she ushered him towards the perfume counter and the attractive saleslady standing behind it.  
  
"But what's the name of it?" he asked.  
  
"Figure it out yourself. She'll be impressed if you guess right."  
  
"I thought you were here to help," Nick complained.  
  
"I'm helping you think for yourself. Now GO!" she commanded, followed by another nudge.  
  
He trundled off in the direction of the perfume display, his expression of trepidation telling the woman behind the counter everything she needed to know. After twenty minutes of smelling several different fragrances, Nick finally decided upon one called Rapture. He paid for his selection and maneuvered his way back over to Courtney, who was paying for her clothing (if you could call it that), at another register.  
  
"So what'd you decide on?" she asked him.  
  
"Here," he said as he opened the bag and showed her.  
  
"Well, well, well. You ARE observant," she said with a smile. "C'mon. Our work here is done. Buy me lunch?"  
  
"It's the least I can do. But you're paying for dinner! This stuff set me back two month's pay," he said with a laugh.  
  
"Who knows? Maybe I can convince Wayne to go to the same restaurant. He certainly does NOT want me to cook."  
  
"All kidding aside, Courtney, I want to thank you for saving my relationship today," Nick said. "I wouldn't have been able to do this without you."  
  
"No worries, Nick. It's been a pleasure. You'll just have to update me on the 15th," Courtney replied with a knowing smile. "Or maybe the 16th if all goes well."  
  
Their laughter rang out as they walked towards the food court, Nick digging for his wallet yet again. 


End file.
